Within the pet shop, where I lay languishing, a procession of tiny wizards entered throughout the day, each seeking their first companion. No fewer than fifty souls passed through, their eyes glossing over the short-legged, plush-rumped corgi, and even the fire-breathing lizard. One by one, the magical creatures within the shop were claimed, leaving the young, benevolent-faced proprietor to gather a small fortune of gold coins into a pouch no larger than a child's palm, his smile radiant. A smile that stirred memories of my grandfather, now bedridden in a world I feared I'd never return to.
"Another day ends, and still, no one claims me," the fire lizard grumbles, his boredom palpable. Only he and I remain. His pride, however, still unyielding. "I am a lord of the skies! Does no one desire me? Ah, it must be my price, too grand for these paupers. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
I remain silent, my gaze drifting to the price tag, a mere two copper coins, affixed to the bottom of his cage. No great deduction was needed to discern the truth of his supposed worth, despite my ignorance of Caronia's currency, as Phila had forewarned.
As twilight's embrace deepened, signaling the shop's closure, the proprietor dispensed strange, pellet-shaped food and clear water into my cage, all without breaking the enchantment. My fascination with this world only grew.
Cling! Cling!
My ears perk up at the familiar chime, close by. It was the bell hanging above the doorway, signaling a customer's arrival.
"Ah, welcome to Lee's Pet Shop. My apologies for the little ones, we only have two creatures available today," the old man said with a kind voice. "It's not too late to come back tomorrow, though. I expect we'll have so many animals, you won't know which to choose."
"But... school starts tomorrow," a girl of about twelve or thirteen said, her voice filled with disappointment. "If I don't have a pet, I'll be miserable."
I crane my neck to get a better look. She is with her mother, a woman of striking beauty, her presence radiating a shimmering silver aura... Wait, what? Why could I see auras?
"Your innate skill, Tom, is 'Aura Sight,'" Phila explained. "The color of an aura can accurately indicate power levels and emotions. Right now, her mother's aura is silver, signifying immense power. The emotion is unclear, but a change in color would indicate a shift in mood."
"A mere handbook would do," I murmur, my eyes fixed upon the fire skink, which now gripped the cage, its head thrusting through the wire in a wild fervor.
It seemed to yearn for adoption with such fervor...
"Choose me; choose me; choose me, little one."
The fire-scaled lizard's eyes glowed with an ominous crimson light. I sighed, succumbing to exhaustion, yet remembering to flick my tongue to draw water into my parched mouth.
"I choose this one," a child's voice whispered close, startling me awake.
Her face, beaming with a wide, unsettling smile, loomed over me, causing my heart to skip a beat.
She chose me?
"Uncle, I want this one," she declared, turning to the old shopkeeper and pointing directly at me, as if claiming me as her own.
"Is this the one rumored to have caused such chaos in the streets?" her mother inquired, her tone sharp and direct.
Her gaze is piercing, her eyes, enhance with makeup, as keen as a tigress, captivating and stirring the hearts of young men. Her daughter, with her passable features, wear round black-rimmed glasses, her oval face pale and smooth, her black hair streaked with pink highlights. She was dressed in a long, flowing black robe, beneath which peeked a white t-shirt and a black mini skirt adorned with two white stripes, revealing her slender legs... ah... er... she wasn't even eighteen yet. When did my gaze wander so far? Had I already condemned my own short, stubby legs to a figurative prison?
"Indeed, that is so," the old man replied. "But if you desire a change, this young dragon might suit your fancy. A mere two copper coins, you see." He gestures towards the fire-breathing skink, which wore an expression of utmost delight.
How smug you look, you little creature.
"Why is this dragon so inexpensive?" the mother inquired, leaning closer to the skink with keen interest, while her daughter stared at me with sparkling eyes.
The girl's aura was a vibrant pink, enveloping her entirely. I rose to my feet, bracing my front legs against the bars, and extended my long tongue, attempting to capture their attention with my own brand of charm. And, of course, it worked.
"But Mother, I want this one!" the girl pleads, turning to her mother with a look of utter entreaty.
Excellent choice, little one. If you take me home, I shall bring you joy for your entire life.
"But is it not too dear?" the mother countered, her voice cool and detached. "Two gold pieces? One could acquire a dragon for a mere two copper coins, a far more reasonable bargain."
The shopkeeper, an aged man with eyes that shimmered with an otherworldly light, attempted to sway her. "Madam," he begins, his voice soft yet persuasive, "I have sold many creatures this day, leaving only these two. The price is not an act of avarice, but a reflection of their worth." His aura radiates a warmth that enveloped the very air around him. "I do not believe a dragon would suit your charming daughter as well as this hound. This creature, I dare say, is the finest of its kind in all these lands."
"What to do...?" the mother muses, her resolve wavering. "The headmaster's stipend is not due for some time. If we are to have this beast, our evening's repast must be forgone."
"Then..." the old man step forward, his hand outstretches, a wand grips within. He begins to weave an incantation, the ancient words a soft susurrus in the air. Simultaneously, the bars that confine me dissolve, revealing an opening. A withered yet large hand, capable of cradling my form, lifts me out with tender care. Our eyes meet. Throughout the day, I have observed his work, a kindness towards creatures indistinguishable from that of a descendant, despite the ferocity of the beast. A certain enchantment seems to tame me, rendering me docile.
He presents me to a young girl. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise.
"Though I paid dearly for this one," he says, his voice gentle, "seeing the kinship between this dog and this little one, I can overlook the cost. My purpose as a pet vendor is to find them suitable homes, for unending happiness. Take him! This big-butt dog is yours, child. No charge."
We are all taken aback by this elderly shopkeeper, especially the fire skink, now erupting in fiery rage. I am unsure how to express my joy, only to lunge forward, my tongue lolling out in eager licks... her cheeks, indeed, are as soft as steamed buns.
"Are you harboring impure thoughts?" Phila asks.
"N-no... it's nothing!! Just...doing what a dog should do, that's all." I think to myself, arguing with the system. My heart beats erratically, as if the heart of a young man trapped in a dog's body is falling into some kind of snare with this girl.
...She's kind of cute...no way...I'm her pet now, after all.
"My name is Anya, nice to meet you. From now on, I'll call you 'Nappo', okay?"
Huh...?
Nappo... Nappo... good boy... good boy, is that what I am?
"Noooooo!!" I scream internally.
Am I really a dog in both body and name now?!
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To Be Continue Ep.2